Chapter 38: The Veil Lifted
It took a few moments to realize what had been said and offered but finally Harry found his voice.
"You have been a part of my life for years Hermione, and I really don't ever want to think of a day when you aren't. I'm committed to Fleur and Gabrielle, but if you...well I guess what I'm saying is yes. If you can accept Fleur and Gabrielle and this whole situation, then of course I want you to be a part of my life."
Hermione retraced her steps back to Harry where for several seconds she stared into his eyes. Slowly her eyes closed as she leaned forward until their lips once again touched.
This kiss was less desperate, more tender than the first one. His lips parted as he returned the kiss. It deepened as the love the two of them shared flowed between them. When it ended, she looked again into Harry's eyes. "Are you really sure Harry? Can you put up with me for a lifetime?"
"As many lifetimes as you can put up with me," He assured his friend. "I'm sure."
Hermione turned to Fleur and Gabrielle, "Are you really sure?"
"Oui," The replied together.
Hermione turned back to Harry. "Yes Harry I choose to bond, but with one condition."
"What might that be?"
"You have to tell my parents," Hermione replied. The tears were now gone, replaced by a smile. She turned and stood with her sisters to be.
Harry mouth opened in surprise and then he smiled and nodded. "Fine, but it's your fault if they kill me," His eyes seemed to catch all of the women standing there waiting. "Are we ready?" He asked.
"Oui, let us into your 'eart," Fleur answered for them.
Harry grasped the knob on the door and turned it. With a slight push the door open in front of them. There was a brilliant golden glow that seemed to fill the very air inside the house.
"It's beautiful," Hermione said.
"It's 'Arry's love," Fleur replied. She put her arms around both Gabrielle and Hermione and pulled them closer to her. They all walked through the door, into Harry's heart.
Back in the Hospital wing, the people watching the bonding saw the glow start to disappear from the bondmates and they waited. Each looked to another, all nervous to know what had happened.
Harry was the first to open his eyes. All around him people were staring, waiting and wondering. A smile broke out on his face as he felt something like pure sunshine pouring into his heart. He could feel happiness, and not just his own.
He looked around at his bondmates, and each of them was looking back at him. Then the noise started, but he couldn't tell from where. It sounded like several people talking at once, just a word here or there that could be made out. But as he looked around, he saw no one was speaking.
"Thoughts," Harry realized. "I'm hearing their thoughts but...but is this how it's suppose to be?"
Rachelle asked the question all of the people surrounding the bed wanted the answer to, "Was the bonding successful?"
Harry immediately put his hands to his head as the pain coursed deep inside his brain. The question was echoing loudly in his mind. It was like he'd heard her ask it four times, each time slightly off from the others. Then it got worse. The thought of the question had been heard in his bondmate's minds and it echoed back to him. Over and over it occurred.
Rachelle immediately guessed what the problem was and immediately started pulling Fleur and Gabrielle toward Madam Pomfrey's office. Fleur pulled away from her and said "Bring 'Ermione too, she's bonded as well."
At that statement another verbal pandemonium broke out causing Harry's head to feel like it would explode as the words being spoken echoed endlessly in his mind. Harry's bondmates could feel his pain and realizing they were causing it right now, followed Professor Berceau into Madam Pomfrey's office. Once there, Rachelle put her finger to her lips suggesting they be quiet, then returned to the rest of the people surrounding the bed.
Without the echoing of the voices coming from his bondmates, Harry could start to understand the questions and comments being posed.
"What is going on?" Professor Dumbledore asked Professor Berceau. "Why did the ladies need to leave the room, and why is Harry in pain? Did something else go wrong?"
"No, I think the bonding completed fine this time, right Harry?" Rachelle asked the young man in the bed.
Harry nodded.
"Remember Albus, they hear each other's thoughts now," Rachelle said, "He is hearing everything they think, so when they hear something he hears it as well. Each time someone speaks when they are all in the same room, Harry will hear it three times," She turned to Harry, "or is it four? Did Hermione join the bond?"
Harry nodded.
"Echoes?"
Again Harry nodded.
"He will hear everything four times, each possibly offsetting the others. This appears to be setting off echoes from each bondmate as they hear what he is thinking which then returns to him in their thoughts and so on."
"But..." Dumbledore started.
"Now in a normal person to person bonding, the echo is minor annoyance for a short time, but with three bondmates, the echoes and the various random thoughts he will have a much more severe time of it for right now."
"You say for right now? What does that mean? He'll be alright?" Concern was evident in Dumbledore's expression.
"The mind is a wonderful thing Albus," Rachelle explained. "Harry and his bondmate's minds will learn and adapt. With the Veela magic, it will develop means to shift and sort through the information, recognizing what is meant for him, and what isn't. It will also learn to protect itself as it protects the bond."
"You mean like Occlumency then?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
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